Importance of Public Policy

At Issue: Penchant to change canoe in midstream hasn’t been of help to our resource-poor pearly isles.
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Our View: Perhaps it’s time that political candidates are quizzed of their understanding of policy.

Public policy is supposed to benefit the greater majority of people at the grassroots level. This is best accomplished when both private and public sectors meet to chart the socio-economic future of its constituency.

The substantive nature of policy either encourages greater wealth and jobs creation or the complete opposite. Unfortunately, we’re still in self-denial that such has been and continues to be the forte of the entrenched bunch on both sides of Capital Hill.

We can no longer blame El Niño weather for this very unstabling attitude in policy formulation. Furthermore, La Niña has taken over and we again wonder if this has been turned into another convenient scapegoat. Or is it perhaps the erratic nature of typhoons that best reflect the constancy of ruining these isles as a sound investment venue? Or is it a case of arrogance swimming in the sea of ignorance? Whatever the case may be, it hasn’t been of help in our struggle to revive a ruined economy.

Obviously, ours is a case of events overtaking the better part of reasonable planning. We no longer “plan for” but “plan by” eventualities.
The latter is where we are today as to be groping for answers because we have allowed the benefits of difficult decisions to be supplanted by instant gratification or quick fixes. Surprisingly and for all the disastrous effects of the Asian crisis, politicians still hold jealously to their “scarcity mentality” as their most prized trophy. This attitude only intensifies destruction of wealth and jobs creation. This special ability at gamesmanship blocks wealth creation that would have opened up job opportunities for the hundreds who now roam these isles searching for meaningful employment.

Tidings of annual revenues inching up the scale is no reason to return to complacency.
Hundreds, if not, thousands of jobs are needed down the stretch for high school graduates who march out of school campuses annually. Have entrenched policymakers prepared for this eventuality? Or have they done the exact opposite by killing wealth creation? What’s the root cause of this major setback? Isn’t it true that it is found in ill-conceived policies or the effective derailing of well defined measures to take advantage of windows of opportunities on wealth creation?

It is really up to us to put some sense in the minds of entrenched politicians who opt for gamesmanship over lasting policy decisions. Think seriously about it as we approach the gubernatorial race next year. It’s all in the palm of your hands. Si Yuus Maase`!